Goodbye Blue Sky
by Peter Rhydon
Summary: Based on the second series of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, this story tells the adventures of a human mysteriously turned into a Turtwig and his partner Vulpix, as they become involved in a series of events that would determine the fate of their world.
1. After the Storm

**CHAPTER 1: AFTER THE STORM**

_« … Let the sun beat down upon my face, with stars to fill my dream _

_I am a traveler of both time and space, to be where I have been… »_

_**Kashmir by Led Zeppelin**_

* * *

…

_« Wh… Whoa! What's… What's happening? »_

…

_« No! Stay with me… Hang on! »_

…

_« I… I can't… »_

…

_« Stay with me, please! »_

…

* * *

The lightning was zigzagging across the ash-coloured clouds, immediately followed by the deafening din of the raging thunder. The rain was falling untiringly above the breaking sea, all shook up by the winds in their impetuous blows. Only a few Pokémon could have remembered the last time that such a violent storm had happened in their quiet and peaceful world. The more superstitious of them would surely have sensed the rage of a legendary Pokémon building or a bad omen linked to an oncoming catastrophe.

The cliffs bordering Treasure Town were standing the assault of the elements without flinching, even though they were used to the delicate touch of the waves and the breezes, day and night, season after season. The old Sharpedo Bluff was standing straight toward the dark skies, its empty rock eyes could surely not invoke any message to the unleashed nature.

Thus went the night. The rain kept on falling down and the winds kept on blowing.

Then, slowly and discreetly, the storm seemed to calm down. The lightning was gradually getting quieter, while the rain and the winds were cooling down their rage till finally fading away in a divine calmness. The clouds were clearing up and slowly disappearing. The stormy night would make way to the sweet day after.

* * *

"…… Urrrgh……"

He was barely conscious. His motionless body was laying down the beach, next to the rocks and the flows of the sea waters. He couldn't open his eyes. The only sounds coming out from his mouth were unintelligible and barely audible.

The Sun was shining bright and powerful into the blue sky. The clouds had faded away before the dawn came, but the storm from the previous night had left some perceptible traces. The air was still very humid and the ground was saturated with often muddy water holes. Trees and bushes were still soaked with rain water all over them. There even was some kind of weird smell in the air. Some kind of post-storm smell, where humidity comes to alter the environment aromas its own way, before evaporating at the same rate as the water holes.

He finally opened his eyes, just barely. But his vision was still so fuzzy that he couldn't distinguish the surrounding shapes all around him. He couldn't even see that he was laying on a beach or, for that matter, see that he was in a place he had never seen before in his life.

He tried to get up, but he was so weak that it felt like giving a superhuman effort just to put himself on his feet. Fatigue was consuming his whole body. Finally, his legs gave up under his weight and he lost consciousness once again.

* * *

"Hmm…"

Vulpix sighed for the umpteenth since she had gotten to the peak of the cliff where the famous Wigglytuff Guild was located. The day was nearly over already and the sky was already starting to take some of the colors of the dawn. The blue in the sky was already gone and had been replaced by a surreal mix of pink and yellow. A few clouds were still scattered in the celestial vault. The great bowls located on each side of the Guild's entrance had already been lit up. The flames were burning fervently and were lighting the Guild, just like street lamps.

Vulpix was facing the entrance with a worried look upon her face. Becoming an explorer was her lifelong dream and she really wanted to join the Wigglytuff Guild in order to accomplish it. But she was a bit shy and courage was definitely not among her strengths. Vulpix had previously hoped to cross the Guild's door many times in the past, but she had never been able to make the first step. She didn't dare. Fear kept her from going all the way.

Vulpix was walking up and down in front of the Guild. She was fed up with always backing up and never going all the way forward, but she swore that she would do it on that evening. But then, once again, something deep within herself seemed to keep her from going forward.

"No… This is just ridiculous… I can't remain a coward all my life."

Vulpix took a look at the Guild's entrance. It looked like a big tent with the top of it shaped just like the top of Wigglytuff's body. The Guildmaster's effigy sported a huge childish smile and its black eyes were shining from the light emitted by the flames in the bowls. In front of the door, there was a large circular grate on which visitors had to step in order to get in.

Vulpix took a serious face.

"That's it. I must do it. I can do it…"

Vulpix took place on the grate. As soon as she was there, she heard a voice, coming from way down below her:

"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!"

The voice surprised Vulpix. Then, another voice spoke from beneath the grate:

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

Vulpix was shivering. Those two deep voices were giving her the creeps. Fear was beginning to get a hold of her. Then, without warning, she leapt backward and left the grate. She had just broken down, once again.

Instantly, Vulpix knew she had just done the wrong thing. She took a very long look at the grate on the ground and she could even hear the same two voices which sounded like they were having a conversation. The young fox Pokémon was discouraged. Discouraged about herself…

"Ohhh… Why? Why can't I go all the way? Why am I so easily frightened? It… It just can't be… Urf…"

Vulpix sighed once again. She had sworn that she would enter into the Guild on that day, but her hopes had just vanished once again.

Vulpix took the pendant she was wearing around her neck. The object looked like a small regular rock on which a strange white pattern was inscribed. She put the object down in front of her.

"Even with my most precious treasure with me, I can't seem to find the courage… Oh, just what could I do?"

Vulpix picked up her pendant and put it back around her neck.

"Maybe… Maybe I'll work up the courage next time…"

At the same time she said those words, a smile appeared on Vulpix's face. But that smile vanished quickly.

"But… I'm always saying that _next time_ would be the good one. And it never is. Just when will I work up the courage? Oh… It's… It's way too disheartening… I'm… I'm really just a big coward…"

With a heavy heart, Vulpix turned back and slowly got down the stairway carved out of the Guild's cliff, leaving another failed attempt to join the Guild behind her. Another eloquent demonstration of her total lack of bravery. However, Vulpix tried to cheer herself up by thinking that nobody saw her and that the event would have no significance for anybody. Unfortunately for her, she was wrong…

"She is gone?"

"Yeah, it looks like…"

Two Pokémon floating in the air appeared from behind the bushes planted near the Guild. The first one looked like a purple sphere strewn with several crater-like protusions. He wore a smile that looked kind of disturbing at the same time. The second Pokémon looked like a small blue and purple bat, with two long straight tails.

"Did you get a load of what she said, Zubat?"

"You bet I did, Koffing."

"That thing she had with her, she said that it was her most precious treasure, right?"

"Yeah, that's what she said… It looked like an ordinary pebble, but… Maybe that thing is worth more than we might think…"

"Did you see her on the grate? You really must be a big wimp to be scared like this."

"It would be all too easy to take her little rock… Maybe we could get a nice profit out of it…"

Koffing turned to his colleague:

"So, do we follow her?"

"Yes, we do, Koffing."

The two Pokémon flew toward the cliff's stairway. They took the same path as Vulpix and they could saw her walking toward the beach. Their plan was simple: they would follow Vulpix from a distance and they would find a good place to hide once they would be at the beach. Then, when the time would be right, they would steal her pendant and flee quickly.

As for Vulpix, she really had no reason to worry about anything. She was gently walking to the beach in order to clean her mind from her worries. It was a walk she was doing fairly often and nothing exceptional never happened at the beach.

But that evening would be different… For what Vulpix would find at the beach this time would change her life forever…


	2. Who Are You

**AN**: Thanks to Sora532 and Bindi Loo for reviewing.

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: WHO ARE YOU**

_« Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years. »_

**- Richard Bach, from **_**Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah**_

---

At sunset, the beach was always a very active place. The main reason was always the same, anyway: the Krabby.

The little crustacean Pokémon abounded on the beach, the place they were living. Some Treasure Town inhabitants even called it Krabby Beach, but this toponymic habit was not fairly popular. The majority of Pokémon simply called it « the beach ».

On days when weather was good, the Krabby were bringing themselves together at sunset and were participating in a rather peculiar ritual. The little crabs took place on the sand or on flattened rocks and faced the sea. Then, as the Sun was slowly fading away in the horizon, the Krabby sent bubbles floating into the sky. Countless bubbles. Tens, even hundreds of them. Some were small and some were big… Nobody was really sure why the Krabby devoted themselves to that kind of activity, but many suspected that it was quite important for them, as they were doing it everyday, as long as the meteorological conditions allowed them to stay outdoors safely.

The Krabby were very active on that evening. Undoubtedly because they didn't have the opportunity to send bubbles on the previous day, since there was that intense storm happening. So, they were going to give it all they got. And it was during their little daily ritual that Vulpix reached the beach. At that moment, there were bubbles flying all over the beach. There was so many of them. Some were flying above the sand, while the majority of them were sent over the sea and flew toward the setting sun. Vulpix took a look and was instantly filled with wonder at the sight of the bubbles in front of her:

"Oh, wow! It's wonderful!"

Vulpix took a few steps toward the ocean to get a good sight at that fairy-tale spectacle. The bubbles were shining and sparkling. As they were floating in front of the Sun, the light gave to the bubbles a bright, multicoloured aspect. That vision was just enchanting for Vulpix, for whom the beach was a place to meditate. She had often seen the Krabby sending bubbles into the dusk sky, but she had rarely been as delighted as she was on that specific evening.

It was that kind of vision that could bring Vulpix up when she felt down or sad. She had always been impressed by the glint of the solar light on the waves or throughout the Krabby bubbles. A wonderful and inspiring vision. Vulpix knew that after her attempt to get in Wigglytuff's Guild failed once again, she could count on the spectacle of the sea at sundown to cheer herself up. It was so rare to run into Pokémon at the beach at this hour of the day, so it was a nice opportunity for Vulpix to benefit from some time alone. The Krabby weren't interested in those who came to the beach to witness their activities, anyway. They were focusing on what they were doing, not on whoever was watching them.

"Urf…"

Vulpix sighed quietly. It was a sigh meant to evacuate the resentment she was still feeling within herself. As she was watching the bubbles in the sky, recent souvenirs from only a few minutes before tried to rise within her mind. She saw herself panicking on the grate in front of the Guild and fleeing before she had reached her goal. Vulpix tried vigorously to chase those bad thoughts from her mind, but she knew they would come back to haunt her at one moment or another... Unless she could finally get in someday.

Vulpix turned her head to inspect the beach. She was sure that she was alone, but she quickly discovered that she wasn't. She saw something farther on the beach. Something green and yellow…

"Oh? What is it?"

Vulpix was intrigued by the unfamiliar silhouette in front of her. She slowly got closer to it to see what it was. She took a few quiet steps, before discovering that it was the shape of a Pokémon. A Pokémon which Vulpix could recognize.

"Oh, my goodness! It's a Turtwig!"

Vulpix had already heard of this kind of Pokémon and had seen some pictures of it, but it was the first time she saw a real one. Vulpix could distinguish the four little yellow legs of the Turtwig, as well as the outline of its head. Vulpix found weird the presence of such a Pokémon on the beach, but she found even stranger the fact that it didn't seem to move at all. It seemed to be far too motionless to be asleep or something. Vulpix got closer to the small turtle laying on the sand, but she also kept her distance. She was unsure and a bit shy about it. But the presence of this Pokémon really intrigued her. She got closer to find herself right next to the Turtwig. Its eyes were closed and his breathe was kinda slow. So slow that Vulpix could hardly hear it, especially with the noise of the waves nearby. Vulpix leaned her head toward the Turtwig.

"Uh… Excuse me?"

No answer came from the Pokémon. No reaction either.

"Turtwig?"

Vulpix's weak voice had no effect on the small green turtle. It was still laying on its side and remained unaffected by Vulpix's calls. In despair, Vulpix put her paw on the Turtwig's face and moved it gently.

"Are you alright? Please, wake up…"

This time, a weak sound came from the Turtwig. Its eyelids moved slightly, and finally opened slowly, disclosing its yellow and black eyes. Its breathe gradually became more audible. Vulpix felt instantly relieved.

"Ah, you've woken up! Am I glad!"

The Turtwig closed its eyes once again and tried to put itself on its feet. But it was so weak that it could hardly move its body whatsoever. At the same time, it tried to understand what was going on around it.

"…… W-what?... Who… Who talked?... Where am I?"

The Turtwig's low voice indicated that it was a male. His voice was weak and jerky. His voice reflected his physical status pretty well, as well as his psychological status. The voice he had just heard was decidedly unfamiliar.

Vulpix looked at the Turtwig and quickly realized that he didn't seem to be full of energy.

"Are you OK? You seem to be… in pretty bad shape."

The Turtwig hardly put himself on its four legs. Vulpix could read the effort on his face. His eyelids were closed and a grimace was visible on his mouth. He finally opened his eyes and looked quickly all around him. He instantly found out that the place he was in meant absolutely nothing to him. He also saw Vulpix, who was still standing next to him.

"Where… Where am I?," he said to himself, as he was still looking all around him.

"You… You're on the beach…"

Vulpix answered with some confusion in her voice. Why is he asking that question, she wondered. If he had fallen asleep at this place, he should remember that he came here by himself, wouldn't he? If he wonders where he is, then it would mean that there's something strange happening…

As Vulpix was trying to understand the Turtwig's reasoning, he slowly turned his head in her direction. His eyes were both wide open and so was his mouth. The look on his face gave Vulpix a few chills.

"Have you… Have you just talked?," the Turtwig asked to Vulpix.

The young fox became very confused.

"Well… Well yes… There's nobody else here…"

The Turtwig jumped. He made a move backward, totally astounded.

"Wah! My God, you're really talking! You're a talking Vulpix!"

Vulpix was totally lost by now. She wanted to say something as an answer to this mysterious Pokémon, but how could she give an adequate answer to such an unexpected exclamation?

"You… Are you sure you're OK?" It was the only thing that came to Vulpix's mind. "You seem to be kinda weird for a Turtwig…"

"A… A what???"

Really, peculiar answers seemed to chain up. For Vulpix, the more she talked to this stranger, the more he seemed strange to her. She couldn't help, but to answer to this Pokémon's questions, even if he looked totally disoriented.

"Well, a Turtwig… That's what you are, aren't you?"

"Are you nuts! I'm not a… a…"

The Turtwig abruptly stopped in the middle of his sentence. Even though the situation seemed to take a turn to the absurd, he couldn't deny the fact that he felt kinda weird. Even if he was on his feet now, he didn't have the feeling that he was standing up, like he was used to. Instead, he felt like he was standing… on all fours. And that Vulpix seemed to be unusually tall…

Not only was he confused, he was also scared by now. Everything seemed so unnatural. He shook his head on one side, then the other, and saw the sea nearby. The turtle Pokémon quickly rushed to the water. Once he was close enough, he leaned his head forward to get a good look at his reflection. The image sent back by the clear water was indeed one of a Turtwig's head: a pale green face, with a yellow jaw and yellow and black eyes, as well as a small leafy twig rising from the top of his skull.

Vulpix didn't know what the Turtwig was doing, which wouldn't help to dissipate that incredulous feeling she had toward this odd Pokémon.

"Aaah!"

As he saw his reflection in the sea, the Turtwig unleashed a sudden scream. His reaction made Vulpix jumped somewhat. She didn't expect such a reaction from the turtle Pokémon. But that scream was definitely not a good sign. Vulpix became slightly anxious.

"What's wrong?," she asked the Turtwig, who was still gazing at his reflection.

The Turtwig turned around and quickly rushed to Vulpix. He stopped right next to her, so close that Vulpix could almost see her own reflection in the Turtwig's eyes. But the expression on the face of the Grass Pokémon was not quite re-assuring.

"I'm… I'm a Turtwig!," he said, his voice still filled with shock.

Vulpix took one step backward. Being that close to such a strange Pokémon made her feel not so well.

"Of… Of course…," she answered, "You're a Turtwig…"

"No, you don't understand! I'm not a Turtwig! I'm a human!"

Vulpix jumped once again. Frankly, this Pokémon sent one weird reply after another, but the last one had reached the limits of non-sense.

"A… A human?"

"Yes, I swear! I'm a human!"

Vulpix was so disoriented that she wanted to run away. But something deep within herself kept her from moving. She was somehow obsessed by that peculiar Pokémon.

"But… You look like a totally normal Turtwig to me…"

A moment of silence followed. The Turtwig didn't know what to answer. Quite possibly because he had nothing to answer. He couldn't deny the logic behind Vulpix's words. He really looked like a totally normal Turtwig. He had seen his reflection in the ocean. He could confirm this by himself.

Vulpix spoke again:

"Just where do you come from? I've never seen a Turtwig in my whole life. How did you end up here?"

"I… I… I really don't know… Just where am I?"

"Well… You're at Treasure Town. And this is the beach."

"Treasure Town? I've never heard of this place…"

"R-really?"

The more Vulpix talked to this Turtwig, the more she was convinced that he wasn't an ordinary Pokémon.

"You… You're really quite a strange Pokémon, Turtwig…"

"I've already told you, I'm a human!," he answered, as frustration became tangible in his voice, "And don't call me Turtwig, please. I have a name: I'm Chris…"

"Chris? That's… That's a funny name…"

Chris glanced seriously at Vulpix. He had the unpleasant sensation that she seemed to make fun of him. Vulpix also saw the change of expression in Chris' face. It made her uncomfortable.

"Sorry… Chris… It's just that I haven't met anybody like you before… Well, I mean… A Pokémon who says that he is actually a human… And who doesn't know Treasure Town…"

Chris kept staring at Vulpix. She quickly realized that Chris would be very insistent about what he was saying and she'd better have to believe him. Even if things were taking a turn for the incredible…

"So, you're a human…"

Chris nodded. Vulpix acquiesced.

"But… How is that possible? If you really are a human, how did you become a Pokémon?"

"I… I don't know, Vulpix… Oh, sorry. Do you have a name as well? I've told you my name, but I haven't asked yours…"

"Oh? But I… I don't have any other name than Vulpix, Chris… I've always been called Vulpix and that's fine by me."

"So, I can call you Vulpix?"

Vulpix smiled.

"Of course, you can."

Chris couldn't help himself. He smiled as well.

"So," Vulpix said, "you don't remember where you come from and you have no idea why and how you became a Pokémon…"

Chris shrugged. Vulpix took a pensive look for a moment, before she smiled again.

"Well, you seem to be honest... OK, I'm going to believe you, Chris... Besides, you look kind."

Chris felt flattered and relieved by Vulpix's words. He wasn't understanding anything about what was happening to him, but he felt relieved that this Pokémon seemed to be ready to believe him about his situation. As he was still looking at Vulpix, Chris saw a purple shape coming by at full speed from behind her. The shape charged right into the fox.

"Ahhh!"

The impact sent Vulpix crashing right into Chris, who stepped back, all shook up. Vulpix found herself on her belly and had trouble getting back up. The effort forced Vulpix to close her eyes and as she did, she felt something pulling her by the neck. She finally opened her eyes and saw Koffing and Zubat floating by near Chris and herself. Vulpix was furious.

"Hey! What's the matter with you?!"

"Whoa-ho-ho!," Koffing answered, "Sorry for the smashing entrance, but…"

"But we just wanted to mess with you…," Zubat said.

Vulpix looked at the bat Pokémon as he was talking and saw there was something hanging up from his wing. To her great horror, Vulpix realized that it was her pendant. Suddenly panicked, Vulpix reached for her neck and discovered that her pendant wasn't where it was supposed to be.

"Aaaah! My Relic Fragment!"

Zubat took a look at the object he had just taken from Vulpix.

"Oh? So, that's how you call this thing? Interesting…"

"Give it back to me!," Vulpix implored.

"If you want it," Zubat replied, "just come and take it..."

Vulpix was paralyzed by fear. She didn't dare to move.

"Whoa-ho-ho!," Koffing laughed at Vulpix, "What's the matter? Don't you want it back?"

"Or perhaps you're too scared to take it back?," Zubat added.

Vulpix was shaking. She did what she could in order to hide it, but it was useless. Koffing and Zubat quickly saw that Vulpix was scared indeed. As for Chris, he felt powerless as he was watching the whole scene. He didn't know what to do… Or perhaps he was scared as well, since those two Pokémon seemed to be really perfidious.

"Whoa-ho-ho! You two are really pitiful, you know that? Zubat and I have seen a lot of sorry-looking Pokémon, but both of you are in a league apart…"

Zubat turned to his comrade:

"Come on, Koffing. Let's get out of here."

Koffing also turned to his colleague:

"OK."

Then, both Pokémon turned to Vulpix and Chris:

"See ya, chickens!," they exclaimed together.

Quickly, Koffing and Zubat got away and flew past Vulpix and Chris. Vulpix kept her eyes on Zubat, who still had her pendant in his possession. She felt totally dejected.

"Oh no… They have fled with my most precious good…"

Chris turned to Vulpix.

"What am I gonna do? What can I do?"

Vulpix felt tears flowing up to her eyes and Chris could also sense it in the tone of her voice.

"It's… It's my personal treasure… I… I can't afford to lose it…"

Vulpix lowered her head and leaned forward. She had trouble containing her sorrow. She felt that she was very likely to break down. But Vulpix tried to hold herself together. She wanted to avoid breaking down at all costs. She didn't want to cry in front of Chris. With a huge effort, Vulpix swallowed her sorrow and firmly put herself back on her four legs.

"No! That's enough! I cannot allow those two hooligans to get away with this. I have to get my treasure back!"

"I'm gonna help you, Vulpix."

Vulpix turned to Chris.

"Really? You really want to help me?"

The look in Chris' face became quite serious.

"Yes. Those Pokémon have to be stopped. They have stolen your treasure and they have insulted us… They can't get away with this!"

A great sense of relief got a hold of Vulpix.

"Waah, awesome! Thank you, Chris!"

Vulpix was very happy to see that Chris was willing to help her. With a newfound sense of vigour and determination, Vulpix got ready to launch the chase against Koffing and Zubat. She hit the road and headed for the western part of the beach, where both thieves had just run away. Chris followed right behind Vulpix. He was decided to help Vulpix getting her object back, but as soon as they were on their way, a line of thoughts flowed through Chris' mind:

"OK, so we are on the trail of those two Pokémon, but what's gonna happen when we find them? There's no doubt we're gonna have to face them off, but what am I gonna do? I don't know how to fight as a Pokémon, do I?"


	3. The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of

**CHAPTER 3: THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF**

_« Small events and choices determine the direction of our lives just as small helms determine the directions of great ships. »_

- **M. Russell Ballard**

* * *

"It's rather dark in here!"

Chris' voice had suddenly turned hollow as it weakly echoed on the rocky faces around him. He and Vulpix had just entered inside some kind of cave located at the west end of the beach.

"I know, but we don't have any choice. They must have fled this way…"

Vulpix timidly led the way, going slightly ahead of her new human-turned-Turtwig friend. Both Pokémon could feel the freshness and the humidity of the sand under their feet and the air surrounding them. The path was meandering inside the rocky passage and described numerous zigzags, as it followed the uneven outline of the coast. The sound of the waves could clearly be heard throughout the stone walls, proving that the tiny cave was blindly following the edge of the sea.

"You know this place, Vulpix?"

The young fox remained silent for a moment, before answering:

"To be honest… I had never entered here before…"

"R-really?"

"Uh… I… I come to the beach quite often, but… I… I had never dared to enter this cave… I… I had always been scared of running into scary and wicked Pokémon in here…"

Chris tried to check out every nook of the cave in front of him, but the darkness reigning inside prevented him from having an adequate look of the rocky place.

"At least, for the moment, there doesn't seem to be anybody in here…"

Vulpix and Chris had been walking for several minutes already and yet, they hadn't run into anybody on their way through the cave.

"They have to be somewhere around here…," Vulpix said, "They just can't vanish into thin air like that!"

"There's only one path. They can't have escaped anywhere else… Let's move on. They must be at the other end of the way…"

As they were carefully walking inside the cave, Vulpix and Chris finally spotted some light in front of them. A thin ray of light seemed to emerge at the other end of the path. Both Pokémon got closer and closer to the thin ray of light and saw that the path was suddenly forking to the right.

Guided by the ray light, Vulpix and Chris followed the path and finally penetrated inside a large room. It was the perfect contrast between the closed, almost claustrophobic road they had been following since they had entered inside that cave. The sandy path became way wider and was now covering the room nearly in its entirety. The sandy square was circled by multiples sharpened rocks emerging from water, which was entering by a small crevice at the bottom of the room. And just in front of that crevice, Vulpix and Chris spotted two familiar silhouettes who seemed to have a conversation, with their backs turned.

"Hey!"

Koffing and Zubat quickly turned around, as they were surprised by Vulpix's call. They had the certainty that they were alone inside the cave and they didn't expect that Vulpix and Chris may catch them all the way to the pit. But as soon as they saw them arriving, Koffing and Zubat cracked a smile.

"Well, well!," Koffing said, "Just look who's there! Miss Chicken and her little friend!"

Vulpix and Chris got closer to the two Poison Pokémon, but kept their distance, as a precautionary move.

"Give me back what you stole from me!"

"Oh?," Zubat replied, "You mean this?"

Zubat slightly turned toward Vulpix's pendant, which was lying on the ground behind him and his buddy.

"So you really want to get this old pebble back?"

"It's not an ordinary pebble! It's my Relic Fragment! It's… It's my most precious treasure!"

"Oh, really? You hear that, Koffing?"

"Ho-ho! So this thing really is valuable? All the more reason not to give it back to you, ho-ho-ho!"

"What!?"

"Koffing is right. I shall add that we might try to sell this thing. Who knows? Maybe we could get a nice benefit with that small rock…"

"No!! I won't let you do that!!"

As Vulpix's voice became louder, Zubat's became more menacing.

"And what are you gonna do to stop us, eh?"

Vulpix suddenly became very nervous.

"I… I…"

She quickly gave a look at Chris, who just did the same. Vulpix knew there was only one thing she could do.

"We're going to fight you!"

Chris feared to hear those words, but he knew there was no other way for him and Vulpix to get back her personal treasure.

"What?! Fight us?! Your hear that, Koffing?"

"Whoa-ho-ho! Well, that is the best one! These two wimps think they stand a chance against us! Whoa-ho-ho! This is too funny!"

Vulpix and Chris stayed emotionless in front of the laughs of Koffing and Zubat. And the latter Pokémon quickly noticed it. Vulpix and Chris could smell that the fight was about to break out. They both took a deep breath.

"They really seem to be inclined to fight, Koffing."

"Then, let's show them how real Pokémon fight!"

Koffing and Zubat slowly lowered their altitude, so they would be nearly at the same height as their opponents. However, they were still a bit higher.

"I'm going first!," Zubat shouted.

The bat Pokémon glanced straight at Chris. And Chris didn't took his eyes off his opponent. Zubat began to go up in the air, until he got near the room's roof. Then suddenly, Zubat dove at full speed toward Chris. Instinctively, Chris made a small leap forward and stretched on the floor, hoping he would cushion the imminent shock. But his small move forward made that his shell was right in Zubat's trajectory.

"Ahhh!"

Zubat couldn't stop his Tackle attack in time and violently crashed into Chris' shell. The shock made Zubat rebounding behind Chris and landed harshly on the fresh sand. He tried to get up, but the impact with Chris had nearly knocked him out. Because of the high dampness inside the cave, Chris' shell had become as hard as stone.

"Ooohhh…"

Seeing that Zubat was in trouble, Chris knew he had to act quickly. He turned around to face the weakened Pokémon and began to charge in his direction. Chris lowered his head so the impact would be more violent. Zubat barely saw Chris rushing toward him before the latter tackled him with all his might and sent him flying in the air. Zubat finally crashed violently into a rock at the other end of the room. The poor bat fell on the ground, unconscious.

Koffing and Vulpix couldn't believe what their eyes saw.

"But… But…"

Koffing's stutterings caught the attention of Vulpix and Chris. Koffing looked both Pokémon repetitively, at the same time that Chris got closer to Vulpix and the cloud Pokémon, with a triumphant and disarming printed on his face. Koffing was now standing alone against both Pokémon and thought quickly.

"I won't get beaten up by wimps!"

Without warning, Koffing launched a Tackle attack on Chris. And this time, Chris couldn't react. Koffing hit him directly on the skull, near his forehead. Fortunately for Chris, the attack was not much violent, because of his high level of defense and Koffing's relatively low weight. Moreover, Chris was heavy enough and Koffing's attack couldn't lift him off the ground. But all the same, Chris felt some pain and shook his head to chase it away. Koffing looked at the small turtle with a large smile of satisfaction.

"Hey! Leave him alone!"

Koffing turned toward Vulpix, who was calling him. He slowly lowered and calmly got closer to the young fox, who was visibly nervous. As for Koffing, he wasn't worried at the idea of finding himself in front of Vulpix.

Both Pokémon were face to face now. Koffing whispered something to his opponent:

"Why would I be afraid of you, little chick?"

Vulpix answered him by launching an Ember attack right in his face. Countless fiery bolts bombed Koffing, forcing him to move back in front of the unexpected intensity of Vulpix's attack.

"Ahhh! How dare you…"

Koffing didn't have the time to finish his sentence, as he immediately received a Tackle attack from Chris. And this time, Chris' strength and power, combined with Koffing's lightness, hurled the cloud Pokémon in the distance. After he bounced a few times on the sand, he finally stopped a couple of feet away from a rock emerging from the water. Koffing was shaken, but he was tougher than Zubat and willed to go on with the fight. But it didn't last much long. Before he could fight back, Koffing received a second Tackle attack from Chris which, this time, hurled him right into the rock standing behind him.

"Ouch!!!"

Koffing fell back on the ground the same way that his comrade Zubat did, but he wasn't unconscious. Even though his eyes were closed and his smile had been replaced by a grimace of pain, he was still conscious. Chris, who was standing nearby, was ready to attack one more time if he needed to.

Koffing slowly opened his eyes. He stared at Chris. He was breathing heavily. He knew he had been heavily weakened by the attacks of Vulpix and Chris and he couldn't hold out much longer.

"Oh, blast it!"

Koffing quickly got up and rushed to the room's entrance. He stopped right there and called out his buddy, who was still laying at the foot of his rock, nearby.

"Zubat! Wake up!"

The bat Pokémon moved weakly and slowly regained conscience. He gave a glance at his comrade.

"Let's get out of here, Zubat. It's just not worth it."

Then, Koffing disappeared in the room's exit. Zubat then understood what had just happened. He slowly flew back to the exit, but before getting in, he turned around toward Vulpix and Chris:

"You've been lucky today, wimps. You won't get away so easily next time…"

Upon those words, Zubat flew through the exit, probably trying to catch up with his companion. Vulpix and Chris watched the blue bat go away, then the young fox turned around toward the other end of the room, where her most precious treasure was still lying on the ground.

"My Relic Fragment!"

Chris turned round and saw his friend running over to her pendant. She quickly took it in her paws.

"I did it! I… I really did it! I got my treasure back!"

Chris slowly went to join Vulpix. He could read the joy upon her face. A joy mixed up with an immense feeling of relief and the elation of having accomplished a feat she believed in more or less.

Vulpix put her pendant back around her neck, and turned to Chris. Her eyes were slowly filling up with tears. Chris could see them. Tears of pure happiness and sincere gratitude.

"Thank you, Chris…," she said, the emotion being tangible in her voice, "Thank you so much…"

* * *

Vulpix and Chris were now back at the beach. They had taken the way back shortly after Koffing and Zubat did and they wished to leave the cave before they would find themselves into a more insuperable darkness. The Sun had almost set in the horizon, anyway.

Vulpix started to examine her pendant on all sides, with the utmost care.

"It's still intact… It's not spoiled anywhere…"

Then, she took the piece of stone and pressed it firmly against her body.

"Oh, am I happy…"

Chris smiled. He was touched to see Vulpix cherishing her personal treasure with so much relief. In the depths of his soul, he knew he had the right move to help his new friend.

Vulpix looked at Chris and slowly got closer to him.

"Chris… I…… I don't know how I could ever thank you properly… Without you… I would have never been able of getting my treasure back all by myself… Thank you, Chris. Thank you so much…"

Vulpix felt bad, because she had the impression that none of her words could do justice to the gratitude she was feeling right now toward her Turtwig friend. But Chris contented himself simply by smiling. He also felt that none of his answers could contain all the satisfaction he was feeling after having given a precious hand to Vulpix.

"It was nothing, Vulpix… It was a pleasure to help you. And I'm glad you managed to get your treasure back…"

It was Vulpix's turn to smile.

"But tell me…," Chris continued, "Just what is your treasure exactly? Why do you hold so much importance for this stone?"

Vulpix then took out her pendant from her neck and put it between her and Chris.

"This is my Relic Fragment. Well, that's how I started to call it…," Vulpix explained, "I found it a long time ago. When I saw it for the first time, I thought it was just a common stone like any other, but… Take a look for yourself."

Chris attentively looked at the Relic Fragment and discovered a strange white pattern on it. In the middle, there were a couple of circles drawn up one inside the other, just like a target. Four ribbons were each describing a spiral at their extremities were interlacing in the central circle. And between each 'ribbon', there was a double pattern with multiple points which looked like two crowns placed one in front of the other. The whole pattern looked like a strange mystical-looking compass rose. The drawing seemed to fascinate Chris.

"My goodness… This is a weird pattern, indeed… What does it mean?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out ever since I discovered it, Chris… You know, the first time I saw this pattern, I had the exact same reaction as you did. I was fascinated by this inscription. And then I told myself: 'This pattern must have some signification.'"

Vulpix picked up the Relic Fragment and put it back around her neck, before continuing.

"If there's one thing I love, Chris, it would be legends… I love listening to tales from the past… Where people talk about lost treasures and extraordinary adventures… When I hear about fantastical legends… I begin to dream right away…"

Vulpix turned toward the ocean and watched the setting Sun.

"There are so many things in this world waiting to be discovered. Uncharted territories… Places where no Pokémon have gone before… Those places must be filled with history and treasures… Each time I look at the sea, I'm trying to imagine what's hidden on the other side. Whatever could we find there?"

Vulpix then turned to Chris.

"Isn't it exciting? The feeling of discovery and mystery…"

Chris hadn't stopped looking at Vulpix since the beginning of her monologue. He could feel his friend's craze as she was talking.

"When I discovered my Relic Fragment and I saw that inscription… I knew right away that it wasn't an ordinary drawing… That pattern is way too elaborate and too clear for it to mean nothing. I'm sure this Relic Fragment is linked to mystical places and fabulous treasures. I can feel it… That's why I want to get in Wigglytuff's Guild…"

"Wigglytuff's Guild?"

"Yes. That's where exploration teams come and sign up. And, as I heard, those are the guys who are involved in grand explorations all around the world."

"And you have never tried to get in before?"

Vulpix bent her head, her head still roaming memories about what happened in the early evening.

"I have tried before, but… I was too scared… I don't know why, but… I never dared to cross the gate… Even though I know that's what I wanted to do…"

Chris felt sorry for his friend.

"But tell me, Chris… What are you up to? You're a human turned into a Pokémon, you have lost your memory and you have just arrived into this world… What are you going to do? Do you have anyplace to go?"

The subject of the conversation had just suddenly shifted from Vulpix to Chris. He considered Vulpix's interrogations and observed that she was right. He was a stranger in a strange land now. He was a homeless wanderer, a Pokémon with no status and no goal. Chris' silence just showed Vulpix that her worries seemed to be justified.

"You don't have anyplace to go, do you?"

Chris didn't answer.

"In this case, Chris, could I ask you a favor?"

Vulpix's eyes and voice became softer, almost imploring.

"Would you accept to form an exploration team with me?"

"An exploration team… with you?"

"Yes, Chris… I think that you and I… We could make a very good team together… Chris, please?"

Chris seemed to be both confused and hesitant.

"But I… I don't know what an exploration team is, Vulpix… I wouldn't know what to do…"

"Neither would I, Chris…"

Vulpix's answer seemed to surprise Chris somehow.

"I don't exactly know what to expect if I join the Guild, Chris… But I only know that we could expect to live wonderful adventures… And together, I'm sure we would be able to clear every obstacle…"

"You… You think so?"

"I won't hide it, Chris… but I think you were very impressive in the cave earlier…"

"R-really?"

"Really. You're terribly strong for a Turtwig. I think you have a great potential, Chris…"

Chris began to think about it:

"Vulpix seems to believe in me. It's true I got by pretty well against Koffing and Zubat… And I had never fought before…"

Chris stared at her friend, still thinking at the same time:

"Vulpix really seems to want me to accept… Actually, she is right: I have no place to go. She is the only Pokémon I know in this world. And she seems to be very kind… Besides, hasn't she talked of discoveries? If that's really what exploration teams do… Maybe I could have a chance of finding out more about myself? Maybe I could find out what happened to me? Who I am? And how did I get into this world?"

The more Chris summed up all the details inside his head, the more they led to an inescapable conclusion. His choice became unavoidable and he knew it. He knew what was the answer to give to Vulpix.

"OK, Vulpix. I accept."

Vulpix's eyes lighted up in a split second.

"R-really? You really want to form a team with me?"

Chris nodded.

"Oh yay!!! Thank you, Chris! Thank you so much!"

Vulpix couldn't hold herself together anymore. She felt that a ton of pressure had just been lifted up from her furry shoulders. She instantly regained confidence in her exploration dreams, now that she had a partner who was willing to help her fulfilling them.

"Oh, Chris! You have no idea how I'm happy right now!"

Chris smiled. He didn't know what to expect from now on, but he could already feel that by allying himself with Vulpix, he had just become even stronger and less alone than he was. As for Vulpix, she was filled with confidence and hope.

"We could go and sign up to Wigglytuff's Guild right away, don't you think?"

Vulpix turned to the ocean and saw that the Sun was sinking more and more into the distant horizon.

"Oh my goodness! The Sun has almost set!"

She almost looked panicked. Without losing a second, she told Chris:

"Quick! We have to hurry before the Guild gets closed for the night!"

Chris nodded and both Pokémon left in a racing pace, heading to Wigglytuff's Guild. Even though it was located nearby, Vulpix feared they would be too late to sign up on that day…


	4. Welcoming the Sunset

**CHAPTER 4: WELCOMING THE SUNSET**

_« He who has begun has the work half done. »_

_- _**Roman proverb**

* * *

The first stars of the evening had already started to twinkle beyond the celestial vault, while the Sun was still fading slowly into the horizon. The astral changeover was following its course, an immutable cosmic rule that had remained unchanged since the beginning of time.

"I hope… we're not too late…," Vulpix said, her voice heavy with exhaustion.

It didn't take too much time for Vulpix and Chris to cover the distance separating the beach from Wigglytuff's Guild, but the said route wasn't an easy and smooth one for the two young Pokémon. The road was describing a continually ascending slope, from the beach up till the crossroads located at the foot of the massive plateau on which the Guild was built. And to reach the top of the plateau, Vulpix and Chris had to climb up a high, extremely steep stairway. Both Pokémon knew they shouldn't stop while climbing up the stairs, because a sudden halt would undoubtedly make them lose their balance and drag them into an unavoidable and potentially dangerous fall. Once they were in front of the Guild, Vulpix and Chris were exhausted from the huge effort they had to give, an effort that was probably more important than when they fought against Koffing and Zubat inside the Beach Cave.

Chris looked attentively at the strange tent that was making up the Guild's entrance. He stared at Wigglytuff's effigy, which was lighted up by the flame-laden bowls, on each side of the tent. As for Vulpix, her eyes went from the steel bars blocking the Guild's entrance to the famous grate which was covering the ground in front of the entrance. She was feeling uncomfortable at the sight of that grate, after what just happened at the beginning of the evening.

"So, Vulpix? How are we supposed to get inside?"

Vulpix jumped. Chris had unwillingly gotten her friend out of her daydreaming quite abruptly.

"Er… I… I think we need to step on that grate, in front of the entrance… You see?"

Chris took a look at the grate. He was kinda intrigued by this rather odd feature in front of the Guild.

Chris focused back on Vulpix. He saw that his friend seemed to be quivering.

"Vulpix?... Are you OK?"

"It's just that… This grate on the ground…"

Chris looked at it one more time and wondered why his friend seemed to be so nervous about it. Chris just couldn't find anything that could give Vulpix the creeps like that. He looked at his friend one more time.

"I don't know why… It's kinda scary to me…"

"But we need to step on it to enter, right?"

A moment of uncomfortable silence followed.

"Is there anything under that grate, Vulpix?"

"I… I think there is indeed… And I think it could even be a Pokémon…"

"A Pokémon?"

Unfortunately for Chris, Vulpix didn't seem to look at him, nor listen to him anymore. She was keeping her gaze at the grate in front of her. She kept her eyes on it. She seemed to fight it with her stare before going forward.

"No!," she suddenly shouted, "No! That's enough!"

Without warning, Vulpix quickly rushed to the grate and stepped on it. Her impetuous move had surprised Chris who, manifestly, wasn't expecting it. As soon as Vulpix took her place on the grate, a voice came out from far away below, hidden into the darkness:

"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!"

A second voice, more booming and more menacing, continued:

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

Vulpix began to shake quite uncontrollably. Her legs were telling her to move out of the grate, but she persisted in staying in place, despite the temptation. She knew fairly well that it was at this moment that she broke down the first time and she certainly didn't will to make the same mistake one more time. Moreover, shame and disappointment would surely be joined by humiliation, since she would lose her face in front of her new friend Chris. But Vulpix had to resist. She had to go all the way this time. She didn't have the choice anymore. She couldn't look back…

"The footprint is Vulpix's! The footprint is Vulpix's!"

The first voice had just answered to the second one. Vulpix was extremely nervous. She was especially fearing what would be the next thing she would hear. She tried to calm herself down, by talking to herself:

"Stay calm, Vulpix… Stay calm… You can do it…"

Then, the second voice could be heard:

"You can ENTER, Vulpix! If there's somebody else with you, get him or her on the grate RIGHT NOW!"

Vulpix gave a huge sigh of relief and took place at the left of the grate. She was still feeling a small tingling in her legs, probably because of all the shaking, but she was feeling way better now. She finally went all the way, this time…

"So, Vulpix?"

Vulpix turned round and saw Chris who was still looking at her. She had been so focused on the grate that she almost forgot her friend.

"Chris, you need to step on the grate as well…"

Chris examined the grate for a few seconds before slowly moving forward and gently taking place on it.

The exact same voices began the exact same tune:

"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"The footprint is… The footprint is… Um…"

Chris could hear that the first voice began to shake. Strangely enough, it seemed to be unable to finish its phrase. A short moment of silence followed, before the second voice took over:

"So, WHAT?! Sentry?!... What's the matter, Diglett?!"

* * *

Despite his young age, Diglett was already one of the most trustworthy members of Wigglytuff's Guild. He had an unmatched talent among all the other members to identify Pokémon footprints, a talent that his father Dugtrio didn't have as well as him. And for that reason, Diglett had been named the head sentry of the Guild and his job was to check out the footprints of the visiting Pokémon. But even despite his great talent and his knowledge of Pokémon footprints, it could happen, although quite rarely, that he would be uncertain about the footprints of rare Pokémon who would come to the Guild. Diglett hated when that happened, since he had a pride and a reputation to preserve.

"This footprint… It looks like…"

Well installed at his watching post, Diglett looked very carefully at Chris' footprint, then turned round and shouted at somebody in the distance:

"Maybe Turtwig's! Maybe Turtwig's!"

His Pokémon colleague answered in the distance:

"What?! What does it mean, MAYBE?!"

Diglett became not only confused, but nervous as well.

"Well… It seems to be that this is the footprint of a Turtwig, but this is the first time I see one for real…"

"Your POINT?!"

"Well, my point is… that I'm not 100% certain."

The other voice became impatient.

"Is it a Turtwig's footprint, or is it not, Diglett?!"

Pressure was building upon the head of the mole Pokémon…

* * *

Fortunately for Diglett and the mysterious second Pokémon, their embarrassing conversation couldn't reach the ears of Chris on the grate, although he knew that they were having an argument. However, their words were unintelligible.

"What's wrong, Chris?"

Chris took a look at Vulpix, who was still standing beside the grate.

"I don't know, Vulpix. It looks like there is a problem…"

"Oh…," Vulpix became slightly worried, "I hope they won't prevent us from entering…"

Chris shrugged. He stood erect there, like a patient in a waiting room. Finally, the mystery Pokémon broke the silence:

"OK, good enough! We'll let you ENTER!"

Instantly, the iron gate began to raise with a sinister rumble, surprising Vulpix and Chris in the process. After only a few moments, the gateway was totally cleared up, showing to the two Pokémon that they could enter without danger.

Vulpix's heart began to pound heavily.

"Here we are, Chris… We can go in…"

Because he was the one standing right in front of the gateway, Chris entered first, followed by Vulpix.

The inside of the tent was almost empty. Beside a couple of giant tapestries hanging from the roof, the only noticeable element was the large hole in the middle from which a high wood post emerged with multiple smaller wooden rungs. An improvised ladder…

"I guess we have to go down by there, Chris…"

"You go first, Vulpix…"

Obviously, it wasn't easy, neither for Vulpix, nor for Chris, to climb down the ladder, since they were both four-legged Pokémon. They were both afraid of falling, but they finally reached the lower floor without much trouble.

* * *

"Oh, wow!"

Even though the day was almost over, there were still signs of activity inside the Guild at this hour. There were still a few Pokémon here and there, most of them were just talking to each other. A Swellow was chatting with a Wurmple, who seemed kinda nervous for whatever reason. Farther away, a Seedot was speaking with a Pidgey. And not too far away from Vulpix and Chris, a Bidoof and a Sunflora seemed to be reading something displayed on the wall.

Vulpix and Chris slowly headed to the middle of the room, while continuously watching what was going on around them. Vulpix was particularly amazed. It seemed to her that she was dreaming.

"You see all of this, Chris? We're in the Guild! This is just wonderful!"

A voice suddenly came out from behind:

"Excuse me?"

Vulpix and Chris turned round and saw a strange Pokémon looking like a multicoloured bird. He had a green and yellow body, blue wings, a ruff of white feathers, a metronome-shaped black tail and a black head shaped like a musical note. The Pokémon stared at Vulpix and Chris.

"Are you the ones who just came in?"

"Y-Yes…," Vulpix timidly answered.

"I am Chatot," the bird Pokémon replied, "I am the right-hand Pokémon of Guildmaster Wigglytuff. And I demand to know what brings you at such a late hour…"

The tone in Chatot's voice was very harsh. Vulpix didn't like that at all, who suddenly felt very small in front of this Pokémon, even though they had the same size, more or less…

"You are not tourists, are you? I want to point out that we're about to get closed for the night…"

Vulpix tried to protest:

"No! W-We're not tourists! We came here… because we want to become an exploration team…"

Chatot looked surprised:

"R-Really? An exploration team? Both of you?"

Chatot looked at Vulpix, then at Chris. He was pensive, all of a sudden. He began to speak to both Pokémon on a much quieter and intimate tone:

"Are you sure you want to join our training?"

Vulpix and Chris didn't seem to understand what Chatot was trying to insinuate.

"I have seen Pokémon just like you," Chatot explained, "Youngsters who ended up fleeing this place… Our training process is not made for the first Pokémon we could pick up on the street. You should know how many Pokémon couldn't stand through the strictness of our program. You should know… "

Vulpix interrupted him:

"Excuse me, Chatot. Is the training really as difficult as you're saying?"

Chatot's eyes suddenly opened wide.

"Wh-What?! Did I say difficult?!"

Chatot began to shake up and to flap his wings, under the surprised and confused gazes of both Vulpix and Chris.

"No, no, no! I've never said difficult! Actually, our training is not difficult at all! It's as easy as can be!"

Vulpix and Chris exchanged a suspicious look. The kind of look that means: "What the hell is this Pokémon?!"

Chatot calmed down almost right away and let a large smile appear upon his face.

"So, you still want to become an exploration team?"

Vulpix wanted to say that they did, but she feared that her answer may unleash another wave of contradictory statements from that frankly unpredictable Pokémon.

"Yes, Chatot. We still wanna form a team…"

"In this case, follow me, if you please…"

Chatot turned round and headed for the ladder Vulpix and Chris had just used previously. They discovered at this moment that there were a second ladder beside the first one, and it seemed to head for another lower floor. Vulpix and Chris gave themselves a look before following Chatot to the two ladders.

* * *

It was easy for Chatot to go from one floor to another since he could fly. But it was not as easy for both Vulpix and Chris, who had to proceed with a lot of caution in order to avoid falls.

Chatot watched both Pokémon climbing down. He was not exactly a patient Pokémon, but he knew that those two potential apprentices were not yet used to these makeshift ladders.

"If they stay here, they'll quickly get used to it," he thought.

Vulpix and Chris caught up with Chatot, who was waiting for them. There didn't seem to be any Pokémon other than the three of them on this floor.

"This is the second underground floor," Chatot pointed out, "I will now take you to the registration, inside the Guildmaster's room."

Chatot took Vulpix and Chris to a large wood door surrounded by heavy pink bricks. But before they could get in, Chatot had to give them some important and precious advice:

"You will now meet our Guildmaster, Wigglytuff. Listen to me carefully… You owe the utmost respect to our Guildmaster. And above all… Above all, you have to stay courteous…"

After having warned both potential apprentices, Chatot went to knock on the wooden door with his beak:

"Guildmaster! It's Chatot! I'm coming in!"

Chatot pushed the door and entered the room, followed by Vulpix and Chris.

The Guildmaster's room, as spacious as it was, was fitted out and decorated quite modestly. The furniture was essentially composed of two large chests on each side of the room, as well as two large bowls in which fires were burning, to light up the room. Two large windows allowed to see the night sky outside, while many large tapestries were hanging down from the roof, just like at the Guild's entrance. And in the middle of the room, on a large dark pink carpet, there was a Pokémon of good shape, coloured with a slightly lighter shade of pink, and with long ears. The Pokémon was facing the wall at the bottom of the room.

Chatot told Vulpix and Chris to take place right in front of the pink Pokémon, a couple of feet away from the carpet's extremity, where it was standing. As for Chatot, he got slightly closer to the carpet, right beside a fire bowl and a chest.

"Guildmaster…," Chatot was addressing the pink Pokémon, "I've brought with me two Pokémon who wish to sign up with us as apprentices…"

The Pokémon didn't react at all. He didn't make a single move.

"Guildmaster?," Chatot repeated.

Still no reaction from Pokémon. Chatot looked disconcerted.

"Um… Guildmaster?," he repeated once again.

As the three Pokémon were about to believe that the Guildmaster was totally petrified, he turned back suddenly, facing Vulpix and Chris. His large and round blue eyes were staring at them.

"Hiya, guys! I am Wigglytuff, the Guild's Guildmaster."

Wigglytuff's voice was so effeminate that Vulpix and Chris could hardly believe it was the voice of a male Pokémon. And the look on his face and the tone in his voice seemed to belong to an intimate friend, rather than to an authoritary master.

"So, you wanna become an exploration team? This is awesome! We're gonna become friends! And we're gonna have a lot of fun!"

Vulpix and Chris were listening to Wigglytuff's words without uttering a single word. It seemed surreal to them that such a childish Pokémon like him could be the Guildmaster.

"So, let's go for it…," Wigglytuff continued, "We're gonna register your team, officially… First things first, tell me what's gonna be your team's name?"

Vulpix got cut to the quick.

"Uh? Our team's name?"

She looked at Chris. She had a pensive mood.

"Oh… We… We didn't think about it at all… We need a name for our team…"

She turned to Chris once again.

"Say, Chris… Do you have any idea for the name of our team?"

Chris shrugged.

"I don't know, Vulpix… I didn't know we had to select a name for our team. I don't have any more clues than you have, Vulpix…"

Vulpix and Chris quickly began to dig deep within their heads in order to come up with an ideal name for their team. They knew they had to find a name they would like, because it would probably stay with them for the rest of their lives. But Vulpix and Chris had no clue… After all, they had just encountered and they didn't know anything about themselves. It was practically impossible to them to find a name based on common tastes or characteristics, since they didn't know what they were.

Vulpix and Chris looked to the window on the right at the same time and saw the last rays of sunlight fading away into the horizon. That's when something weird just happened. Something spontaneous and intangible. The image of the setting Sun seemed to appear at the same time in the minds of both Pokémon. They exchanged a look. And some kind of telepathic contact formed between Vulpix and Chris. They could find it out in each other's eyes. They seemed to know what the other one was thinking and they knew that they were both thinking of the same thing. It was only hypothetical, but their instincts seemed to go in the same direction.

"Sunset…," Chris softly said to Vulpix.

"You were thinking about it too, weren't you, Chris?" she replied.

Both Pokémon knew by then that their choice had been settled. The stars had just given them the answer they were looking for.

Vulpix turned to Wigglytuff:

"It's all settled, Guildmaster. Our team will be named Sunset."

"Team Sunset?," Wigglytuff replied, "All right, then! It's a cool name!"

Wigglytuff got quiet for a moment, before going on:

"Your team will be officially registered as Team Sunset. Let's go for it! Registering! Registering! Team Sunset, YOOM-TAH!"

As soon as he finished his phrase, a huge shock wave got unleashed from Wigglytuff's mouth. It was Hyper Voice coming into effect. Wigglytuff could use his Hyper Voice as a move, but he also loved to use it to formalize the registration of new exploration teams. And it was no different for Vulpix and Chris, much to their detriment… The huge voice broke through their eardrums, while Chatot looked more resistant, probably because he had stood this ritual several times in the past.

However, the shock wave was relatively short and all the Pokémon in the room recovered much quickly. They returned their attention to the Guildmaster and wondered what would be next. The look on Wigglytuff's face got very joyous, all of a sudden.

"Congratulations, Team Sunset! You are now an official exploration team!"

Vulpix's eyes were sparkling.

"Really? Yay!"

Wigglytuff turned to Chatot.

"Chatot? It's now time to give Team Sunset their welcome gift!"

"Of course, Guildmaster."

Chatot turned to the chest right behind him and opened it. From it, he took out a large metallic gold-coloured box and put it down in front of Vulpix and Chris.

"Quick! Open it!," Wigglytuff told Team Sunset.

Vulpix and Chris nodded and opened the cover from the box, on each side. Once the box was open, both Pokémon took a look inside.

In one corner of the box, there was what seemed to be an old sheet of parchment rolled up. And all around it, there was a red ribbon with a seal. Also in the box was a large brown bag laying on its side with a large red strap fixed on it. But two small objects lying on the bag grabbed Vulpix's attention as soon as she saw them.

"Oh, my goodness!"

She quickly grabbed one of the two objects and gazed at it with utmost fascination.

"Oh my! It's a real official badge! A real explorer badge!"

"Yep!," Wigglytuff replied, "And this badge allows you to be identified as a true exploration team."

Vulpix was ecstatic.

"Chris, there's one for you too! Pick it up, quick!"

Silently, Chris leaned over the metallic box and picked up the said second badge. He examined it closely. The badge was shaped like a white Poké Ball with a pink center, equipped with a pair of yellowish wings. There was also a small button at the top.

"It is simply wonderful! Superb!"

Vulpix was literally in raptures in front of her badge. Somehow, it represented the fulfilment of her lifelong dream. She wished with all her heart to be admitted in the Guild and this badge showed her that she had just reached her objective. Vulpix was so amazed by her badge that she totally forgot the rest of the box's remains. And Chris had to bring her back into the reality:

"Hey, Vulpix! There are other things inside the box!"

Vulpix quickly got out of her daydreaming and helped Chris to get the two remaining objects out of the box. Chris took the parchment, while Vulpix grabbed the brown bag.

"This is a Wonder Map," Wigglytuff explained, refering to the paper that Chris was holding in his hands, "It's gonna be very useful to you…"

Then, Wigglytuff turned to Vulpix:

"And this is the Treasure Bag. You could put everything you'll find in it. Right now, you own the smaller model, but as you progress in our ranks, you'll get a larger bag…"

"Really?," Vulpix asked.

"Yep," Wigglytuff answered, "But that's not all. You didn't take a look inside your bag."

The last phrase of the Master suddenly puzzled Vulpix and Chris. Vulpix quickly opened the bag. She took two odd objects out of it: one was a large band of a sky blue colour, and the other one was some kind of bow tie of a blue-green colour. Both Pokémon were kinda intrigued and wondered what those two objects were.

"The blue band is a Special Band," Wigglytuff pointed out, "It raises the level of special attacks."

"Oh wow…"

"And this other object is truly special. This is a Viridian Bow. It is said to raise the levels of attack and defense of some Pokémon. But only the Pokémon whose aura of energy correspond to a specific colour. And in the case of this Viridian Bow, the said Pokémon need to have a deep green aura. Otherwise, the Viridian Bow has no effect…"

"Oh…"

"Guildmaster, can I say something?"

Team Sunset and Wigglytuff turned to Chatot, who really seemed to have something to say.

"I believe the aura of Turtwig is linked to the green colour indeed. Maybe that in this case, the Viridian Bow could work…"

"So, should I try to put it on?," Chris, who felt concerned, asked.

"It would be the only way to find out."

Chris gave a quick look at his friend.

"Vulpix, could you help me, please?"

"Of course…"

Vulpix took the Viridian Bow, which was equipped with a thin ribbon, allowing anyone wishing to wear it to tie it behind their neck. Vulpix gently put the Bow around Chris' neck and tied it. As soon as the ribbon was tied, the Viridian Bow began to glow of a light of a blue-green colour. The light shone for a few moments before fading out. Vulpix, Chatot and Wigglytuff looked at Chris without moving.

"I knew it…," Chatot calmly said, "The Viridian Bow has reacted…"

"Really?"

Vulpix was both surprised and delighted for her companion. She knew what it meant and Chris knew it as well.

"Can you believe it, Chris? You've really become stronger! Just like that! It's awesome, don't you think?"

Chris answered with a smile. He suddenly felt indeed more energetic and more robust than he was a moment or two before. He was very happy with everything that was happening to him. Everything seemed to smile upon him.

"Um, excuse me?"

Chatot seemed to want to speak to Vulpix. She saw that Chatot and Wigglytuff were both looking at her with a strange look on their faces. She found their reactions a bit odd.

"What's the matter?"

"How did you just call Turtwig, Vulpix?"

Her eyes grew a bit larger. She realized that Chris' name had never been mentioned in the presence of both Chatot and Wigglytuff. She wanted to answer, but the interested Pokémon did it by himself.

"Chris… It's… It's my name, Chatot. My name is Chris."

Chatot looked at him with an incredulous look.

"Chris?... Where did you get that name?"

Chris was not much pleased with Chatot's question. He felt offended. But at the same time, he had to consider that Chatot could hardly understand why he was named Chris, instead of Turtwig, like a normal Turtwig would.

"Well… It's my name, that's all… I've always been called this way… That's just my name…"

Chris didn't want to elaborate more on the origins of his name. He felt that revealing his human nature would only complicate matters uselessly.

Chatot glanced at Guildmaster Wigglytuff, who didn't seem to be much bothered by this matter of name.

"Very well. In this case, we'll call you Chris…," the Guildmaster answered.

"Thank you, Guildmaster…," Chris replied.

Wigglytuff smiled, then looked at one of his windows.

"Oh! The Sun has set! It's getting late, late… Chatot!"

The bird Pokémon instantly turned to Wigglytuff.

"Yes, Guildmaster?"

"It's time for everyone to go to bed… We have to give a room to Vulpix and Chris…"

"I… I think there's still one left at the bottom of the rooms' corridor, Guildmaster. With two beds…"

"Perfect! Take Vulpix and Chris to it…"

"Aye-aye, Guildmaster…"

Then, Chatot turned to the two young Pokémon.

"Come on, Team Sunset! It is now time for you to go to your room…"

* * *

Chatot took Vulpix and Chris to a small room located at the end of a long corridor. The tiny room was covered by a floor of earth and was only lighted up by the stars shining outside throughout a circular window on one side of the room. The only things in the room were two small heaps of green leaves, but it was more than enough for Vulpix who rushed to one of them.

"Yay! We get beds!"

Vulpix quickly stretched out in her bed, even though she still had the Treasure Bag grabbed on her. It seemed to her that it was the most comfortable bed she ever went in.

Chris moved into his own bed. He felt very good in it. Being a Grass Pokémon, the feeling of leaves on his body was like bliss. He seemed to commune with his bed.

"Listen to me carefully now, guys…"

Vulpix and Chris looked attentively at Chatot.

"This is your room… It's all yours… You will live here for all the time you'll stay among us…"

Chatot got quiet for a moment, before continuing:

"Now my advice for you tonight is to get to sleep early… Because things will get serious, starting tomorrow morning. Your training will then start for real. You will meet your Guild colleagues for the first time. And your tasks will also begin. It's from that moment on that we will see if you're up to the challenge of being an exploration team… Good night, Team Sunset."

"Good night, Chatot." Vulpix and Chris answered in a single voice.

And upon those words, Chatot got away, leaving the two young Pokémon alone in their room.

Vulpix and Chris moved comfortably into their beds, ready to go to sleep, even though an awful lot of things were moving throughout their heads.

"I'm… I'm almost afraid of falling asleep, Chris…"

"Why that, Vulpix?"

"I… I have the impression that I'll wake up tomorrow morning, and that nothing ever happened… Well, I mean… I still can't believe that I'm currently inside the Wigglytuff's Guild… I've been waiting all my life for this moment to happen. And now, it's all real. It's… It's almost unreal…"

"I know what you mean, Vulpix… Because my day seems kinda unreal for me, too… I have the impression that I'll wake up tomorrow morning… And I will be a human again… And I will be in my world. I won't be a Turtwig anymore… And I'll discover that Pokémon cannot talk…"

There was some kind of irony in Chris' voice, but Vulpix didn't find anything to laugh about in Chris' words.

"I can't wait to see what's awaiting for us tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see what we're gonna do… Of course, I'm a bit nervous, but I feel excited at the same time. I just hope that it will not keep me from sleeping…"

Vulpix and Chris exchanged a look with a smile.

"I'm sure we're gonna do fine, Chris… You and I… Together… We're gonna do fine… Because you're my extraordinary partner, Chris…"

Vulpix yawned and gently closed her eyes.

"Good night, Chris. Sleep tight…"

"Good night, Vulpix…"

Chris lied down as well, but he was unable to close his eyes. Too many things were flowing through his head and he couldn't find a way to get asleep.

"What a crazy day… All of a sudden, I wake up in a world I don't know… In a Pokémon's body… What a day. My God, what a day… And now, I'm in an exploration team with Vulpix. What am I gonna do now? After all I've gotten into today, who knows what's waiting for me tomorrow?"

Chris turned and looked at Vulpix, who seemed to be sleeping already.

"Vulpix… She seems so kind… Of course, I accepted to get in the Guild with her as a favor, but… I think it's the only way I have to find the answers to my questions… Who am I? How did I get to that beach? And why am I here? For what reason?"

As he was shaking up the interrogations in his head, Chris sighed.

"I shouldn't worry too much about it right now. The answers will surely come at one moment or another… But they won't come up all at the same time, that's certain… I should focus on what's awaiting tomorrow morning. And what I'll have to go through with Vulpix…"

Slowly, Chris let his bad thoughts vanishing by themselves inside his mind. Vacuum slowly filled up his head. He only focused on the bed of leaves on which he felt so good. And quite quickly, Chris finally fell asleep.


	5. The Apprentices

**CHAPTER 5: THE APPRENTICES**

_« __**time**__ \'tīm\ _n _**1 **__: a period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues »_

**- The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, New Edition**

**

* * *

**

The Pokémon living inside Wigglytuff's Guild were always the first ones to wake up. Nobody in Treasure Town would get up as early as they would. Their days being often plentiful, explorers had no choice but to wake up at sunrise. Many missions they were assigned to led them to distant places and thus, exploration teams needed time, not only to get to the appointed place, but also to fulfill their tasks, which often required to overcome numerous obstacles, including ferocious Pokémon.

Generally, rookies at the Guild were working in close spots, which would progressively get a bit farther as they would acquire more experince. Some newcomers, driven by their thirst for adventure, were tempted to prove their recklessness by willing to get as far as possible at their beginnings, but the Guild was keeping a close eye on their rookie explorers and kept them close. They knew that the Pokémon living in more distant places were generally more powerful than those living near Treasure Town. That was the first reason. The second reason was a question of motivation. The Guild had a mentality that exploration teams should _earn_ the right to work in distant places. Explorers had to prove they were trustworthy and didn't need to be checked over constantly.

"HEY! GET UP! IT'S MORNING!"

Loudred's deafening voice roared in an infernal echo throughout Team Sunset's room, instantly waking up its two young occupants quite brutally.

"Aooohhh… My ears…"

Chris was so shaken up by that awakening from Loudred that it took him several seconds before opening his eyes and finding his senses back. His eyes finally fell upon the purple Pokémon standing into their room's entrance.

"Come ON, rookies! It's MORNING!"

A new sonic shockwave pierced through the eardrums of poor Chris, as well as Vulpix, who had also been woken up by that Pokémon with a booming voice.

"Wha… What's the matter?..."

Loudred kept adding some more and even began to jump on the ground, unleashing a slight quake :

"Get up at ONCE! You're gonna be late for our morning address! And if you are, you'll be SORRY! Guildmaster Wigglytuff has got quite a TEMPER. If he finds out you're late…"

He stopped for a moment, then turned toward the corridor. He began to shake nervously, which seemed rather weird.

"WOAH! I can't imagine what could possibly happen… OHHH, it would be AWFUL for SURE!"

Loudred turned back again, facing inside the room:

"ANYWAY, I won't get late because of YOU! So, GET UP! AND QUICKLY!"

And upon these words, Loudred cleared out at full speed, leaving the two poor Pokémon still shocked.

"Ohhh, my poor ears…"

Vulpix shook her head to try to get a clear awakening, and also to chase away the pain from her eardrums. She felt some kind of persistent ringing inside her ears, which slowly faded away.

"Why did he have to scream like that? Was he trying to make us all deaf or what?"

Vulpix turned to the window and saw the blue sky outside. The Sun's intensity was often stronger in the beginning of the day and this phenomenon was discernable on that early morning.

"It's morning…"

"That Pokémon told us we would get late for something, Vulpix…"

Chris' low voice was still filled with sleep and each word was getting feebly from his mouth.

"Late?"

Vulpix suddenly realized what it was all about.

"Late? Oh no!"

The easy life was over now for Vulpix. The mornings where she would be getting up when she'd feel like it, they belonged to the past now.

"Great goodness, Chris! We shouldn't get late on our first day! Quick, we have to move!"

With the small amount of energy they had on this early morning, Vulpix and Chris rushed along the corridor as fast as they could. They finally reached in the large space of the second underground floor, where they saw a group of Pokémon lined up in front of the room of Guildmaster Wigglytuff. They were two rows composed of four Pokémon each, watched over by Chatot who was standing in front of them all.

First, in the front row, there was Croagunk, the odd Pokémon with yellow eyes and a sinister grin upon his face. He wasn't a very active member inside the Guild, mainly spending his days at guarding a mysterious cauldron of which he was the only Pokémon to know how it worked. To his right, there was Chimecho, who was known as the Guild's chef. Her main job was to prepare dinners on every evening for the Guild's members. And for this reason, she was one of the most beloved members inside the Guild.

Beside her, there was the gentle Bidoof, without a doubt the most timid explorer of them all. He was still young, but he had already been much accepted among all the members. He had an unshakeable willpower, but he was clumsy and a bit slow, which caused him some trouble, especially at this beginnings in the Guild. Bidoof also had the reputation of being the crew's glutton, a title which earned him some teasing from his comrades, even though it also caused some problems in the past. But overall, every member of the Guild loved Bidoof, who was often called the « little brother » of the crew.

In the front row, there was also Sunflora who, unlike Bidoof, was the extrovert one. She had a radiant personality and was always in a good mood. But Sunflora was also an excellent explorer, certainly better than what her looks might lead one to believe.

In the second row, there were Diglett, the Guild's sentry, and also his father Dugtrio, the Pokémon in charge of the Job and Outlaw Boards. Between the two of them, there was Corphish, one of the most experienced explorers of the Guild, and also one of the most respected.

And finally, at the end of the row, Vulpix and Chris saw a Pokémon they had just met only a few moments before.

"WELL! It's about TIME!"

"Hush, Loudred!"

If there was something Chatot could hardly bear, it was the lack of discipline. Therefore, he found himself indignant of seeing Loudred getting senselessly irritated toward Team Sunset. What's more, how appropriate it was to greet new rookies this way among their group. Needless to say, Chatot had to call Loudred back to order:

"Are you trying to get heard from every Pokémon in Treasure Town? So, either you turn down the sound or you just shut up, Loudred…"

Loudred fell silent, although he let out an well-audible growl. After all, what could he do against it? After all, every Loudred has a strong voice. It's in their nature… Being talked to like that by Chatot was hard to endure for Loudred, since the bird Pokémon was talking against his innate nature. Moreover, Loudred had an agressive temper and he could get angered by the smallest thing.

Chatot took a look at Vulpix and Chris, before addressing the group of Pokémon:

"Pokémon! Today is a great day! Because, as you can see, we bid welcome to two new rookies among our staff."

The Guild members turned almost at the same time to see Vulpix and Chris, who were a bit shy about having to face so many unknown Pokémon.

Sunflora's voice raised above the crowd:

"New members? Oh my gosh, this is so exciting!"

"Yup, yup," Bidoof said, "that's awesome, for sure!"

"Hey, hey," Corphish added, "it's been a while since we haven't had any new members!"

As Vulpix and Chris swept across the small crowd, Chatot got their attention:

"Could you introduce yourselves, if you please?"

The question grabbed Vulpix by the throat. As shy as she was, the idea of introducing herself like that in front of so many Pokémon with a supposedly high prestige was scary for sure. But she knew she had no choice.

"My… My name is Vulpix…"

She turned her head to Chris, to indicate it was his turn to talk now. Chris wasn't as nervous as Vulpix was, but he knew he had to be careful about how to explain to the other Pokémon that his name wasn't Turtwig.

"Hello to you all, my name is Chris…"

And as he expected, it unleashed a general feeling of surprise. Every Pokémon looked puzzled enough and Chris could hear his name getting repeated over and over among the crowd.

"I… I know you expected me to say _My name is Turtwig_, but… Chris is my name… I would like you to call me Chris, if you please…"

Chris looked at Chatot, wondering whether the bird Pokémon would support him or trust the respect of the Guild members.

"Vulpix and Chris will be working together as Team Sunset. And what I'm expecting from each and every one of you is that you treat them with the legendary respect from the Guild… Now, everyone, take your place. Guildmaster Wigglytuff will address you."

Chatot took a look at Vulpix and Chris and motioned them to take place among the other members. Vulpix stood at the end of the first row, at Sunflora's right. Sunflora looked delighted to see the new rookie right beside her. Chris took place behind his friend and beside Loudred, the living alarm clock.

When everybody took place, Chatot went knocking at the door of Wigglytuff's room.

"Guildmaster! Everyone's present! We can proceed."

Chatot quickly went back to his spot, expecting Wigglytuff to come out right away. But this didn't happen. It took several seconds before the door opened and the large pink Pokémon made his entrance, with a slow and heavy pace.

Wigglytuff took place in front of the crew, but stayed oddly silent.

"Guildmaster… It's time for your address."

Wigglytuff began to snore. He was standing in front of all the Pokémon, with his eyes wide open… But he was snoring. He was still asleep.

The Pokémon watched their master with a mix of amazement, dismay and amusement. Voices began to raise among them:

"By golly!"

"The Guildmaster's fast asleep!"

"But his eyes are wide open!"

"The Guildmaster never ceases to amaze me!"

The situation was slightly embarrassing for Chatot. Of course, it wasn't the first time that such a thing occured, but Chatot was always disturbed when something like that happened. Chatot was an apostle of order and discipline and he found difficult to stand the unpredictable character of his Guildmaster. But he had to get along with it…

"Um… Well… OK, Pokémon. Now, it's time for our morning cheers."

Chatot turned to Vulpix and Chris.

"Team Sunset, listen carefully. You're gonna have to repeat these phrases every morning."

Chatot went back to the whole group.

"OK, Pokémon. One, two, three! ONE!"

The Pokémon answered in a single voice:

"DON'T SHIRK WORK!"

"TWO!"

"RUN AWAY AND PAY!"

"THREE!"

"SMILES GO FOR MILES!"

"Alright, Pokémon. Now, get to work!"

"YEAH!"

With a great rush of enthusiasm, each Pokémon left their own way. Diglett and Dugtrio disappeared underground, Chimecho headed for the mess hall, which was located on the same floor, Croagunk got back to his cauldron and Loudred headed for a weird hole dug on the ground. The three remaining Pokémon, Corphish, Bidoof and Sunflora, headed for the ladder and climbed all the way to the upper floor. As for Wigglytuff, he went back to his room, leaving no clue if whether he was awake now or if he was still sleepwalking.

"What do we do now?"

Vulpix saw every member leaving for the place they were supposed to go working, but she had no clue of the place she had to go with Chris. They were the newcomers among the Guild and nobody had told them what they had to do and where they had to go.

"Team Sunset?"

Vulpix and Chris turned to Chatot.

"Come with me. I will give you your first task."

* * *

Chatot took Vulpix and Chris to the upper floor. On the west side of the floor, near the ladders, there was a big board on which many sheets of paper were displayed, with messages written on them. Chatot told the two rookies to stand in front of the board, before addressing them:

"OK. It's at this instant that you're going to show us what you guys are able to do."

He took a look at the board behind him, then came back to Vulpix and Chris.

"This big board behind me is the Job Bulletin Board. Each sheet put up here are askings for help. Pokémon from every corner of the region ask to be helped for different reasons. But, for some time, we've noticed an increase of the number of requests on our board. It seems that there are more and more bad Pokémon trying to give everybody a hard time…"

Chatot looked pensive for a moment, before going on:

"Do you know why there are so many bad Pokémon in the region?"

Vulpix took a guess:

"Well… Is it because the flow of time has gotten messed up in some places? And because of that, bad Pokémon have started to appear?"

Chris was listening to Vulpix, but he didn't seem to follow. Meanwhile, Chatot answered to Vulpix:

"That's correct. Some strange temporal phenomena are happening all over the region. And then, coincidence or not, more and more hostile Pokémon began to appear. It's for this reason that we have been receiving more job requests for some time."

The more Chris learned about what's happening, the less he understood. His thoughts were spinning in his mind like a whirlwind:

"What do they mean by _the flow of time has gotten messed up _? Are they saying that time isn't flowing as it's supposed to be in some places? But how is it possible? How can the flow of time be disturbed? And why do Pokémon become bad because of it?"

So many questions, but no answers. The situation was so warped for Chris that he decided to accept it as it was, rather than trying to understand everything for the moment. Inside his mind, time was an absolute and immutable notion. Learning that time could indeed be disrupted made no sense whatsoever for Chris.

"As I was saying," Chatot said, "because of the problems with time, many Pokémon need our help. And this is where exploration teams jump in…"

Chatot turned once more to the board and began to check carefully the numerous sheets on it. One of them, on the bottom of the board, caught his attention. He took it under his wing and addressed Team Sunset.

"Since you are a new team, I think it is essential that you begin with a low-difficulty mission. Thus, I think this one will be fine," he said, as he brandished the paper sheet.

Chatot put it on the ground in front of the team and Vulpix began to read it aloud:

"_Hello! My name is Spoink. A vicious Pokémon has stolen my precious pearl! This pearl is very important to me. Without it, I lose all of my energy and I get weak and tired… But I've heard that my pearl might have been spotted in a place called Drenched Bluff. However, I've also heard that this is a much hazardous place and bad Pokémon could be hiding there. There is no way I could ever get to such a dangerous place. Please, send somebody get my pearl back from this place. I'm begging you, brave explorers!_"

Vulpix stood silent for a moment. An uncomfortable silence which was surely hiding a muffled feeling.

"So," Chatot asked, "what do you think?"

"We would have… to get back… a pearl that someone lost?"

Vulpix spoke with an almost indignant voice. But Chatot calmly answered:

"Of course. This isn't too much difficult, is it?"

Vulpix and Chris didn't answer.

"What's the matter?"

"Well," Vulpix answered, "I thought that explorers spent their time seeking treasures or discovering unknown lands… I thought we would get to do this, instead of what you're offering us…"

"What?"

The expression on Chatot's face became very serious all of a sudden.

"First of all, young lady, expeditions, as we call them, are opportunities happening very, very rarely. Second, do you really think we would let two rookies getting involved in an important expedition, before they even showed what they can do? If you want to have a role to play inside the Guild, you have to earn it. You have to show that you can handle perils and especially, bad Pokémon. So, I suggest you to begin to get seriously involved in your work right now. Am I clear enough?"

Vulpix felt shameful. She knew she had asked the wrong question at the wrong moment.

"Yes, Chatot."

* * *

Vulpix had never gotten as far before. Actually, since she was born, Vulpix had never gotten much farther than the limits of Treasure Town. Drenched Bluff was not that far from the town, but it still felt exotic for the young fox.

As for Chris, walking so much on four legs felt much longer than he imagined. He was slowly getting used to his new Turtwig body. Obviously, walking on all fours was the most noticeable change, but the fact that he had no fingers on his hands and legs, thus preventing him from grabbing objects, was hard to accept. Moreover, he felt relatively heavy compared to his small size.

The air was becoming more and more humid. The vegetation became more dense. The ground became rocky. The clear sky of Treasure Town had turned into a mass of gray clouds. Vulpix and Chris were near their home, but they felt like they had entered into a whole new world.

"I have a feeling we're getting closer, Chris."

"You think that Spoink's pearl is close?"

Vulpix thought for a short moment, before answering:

"I hope so…"

"Spoink said in its letter that this place would be dangerous… You think we could make bad encounters?"

"If we do… I think we won't have any other option… than fighting…"


End file.
